Collect waste thrice a day, Noida residents urge administration

Residents from several parts of the city have urged the administration to enforce more frequent waste-pickup drives, in light of the spike in dengue, malaria and chikungunya cases in the region.

Residents from several parts of the city have urged the administration to enforce more frequent waste-pickup drives, in light of the spike in dengue, malaria and chikungunya cases in the region.

Heaps of garbage lying unattended in several areas of the city pose potential health hazards for residents. (Burhaan Kinu/HT Photo)

Heaps of garbage can be found lying on the roadsides in several parts of the city, including near Harola village, in front of entry exit gates of Sector 19/20, Sector 62, 31, 34, 33, 35, among others, raising health concerns. Nithari and Mamura villages, which lie in the heart of the city, too face the problem.

Residents and shop-owners insist that waste should be taken away at least thrice in a 24-hour cycle for the next few months.

“Many people have fallen ill in our sector. I have lodged a complaint with the the Noida authority to appoint sanitation staff to lift garbage two to three times daily and conduct regular fogging and spraying (to control mosquito population),” said Suresh Tiwary, a resident of Sector 19.

“There is always a foul smell coming from the dumps in our market. Shop owners are unhappy as their business is getting affected. We wish the authority would fix the problem and have sent our complaints to them in writing,” said Sushil Kumar Jain, president of Sector 18 market association.

“I have never seen authorities sending anyone to inspect and clean garbage dumps. We are scared of contracting diseases, especially after the Sarfabad case, where many people fell ill and some died,” said Purushottam Singh, a Harola resident.

The Noida authority has said its sanitation staff lifts waste from each dumping site in residential areas daily every morning at 9 am.

“From markets, we lift twice a day. We have appealed to people to discard their waste before our staff arrives, but most unattended waste is thrown after 9 am. This is a big problem, and we are planning to fix it. We will hold meetings with RWAs to involve them in educating them in this regard. We may impose penalties, if need be,” said Saumya Srivastava, deputy chief executive officer (DCEO) Noida authority.

Meanwhile, chief medical officer (CMO) Gautam Budh Nagar Vijay Deepak Verma told HT that he will inspect the city and issue a notice to the authority. “Wastes should not stay in the open for long. It becomes hazardous,” he said.